 |
| photo credit: playbuzz.com |
Like other parts of the body, the brain should be properly taken care of. This is because certain negative impacts on the brain can bring about memory loss. Losing your memory is just like losing yourself. You lose your life experiences, important moments you have shared with loved ones and in some cases you hardly recognize people.
Apart from head injury (which can
affect the brain), your life style and nutrition can also affect the brain.
This why every medical practitioner or nutritionist will always advise you to
eat right. Some foods contain some nutrients that are not good for the brain.
We will take a look at a few of these contents.
·
Saturated fat and trans fat:
Saturated fat and trans fat are known to
raise blood levels of bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein). According to
Dr. Francine Goodstein associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (not only is LDL
cholesterol bad for the heart), “there is now a lot of evidence that it’s also
bad for your brain”. This Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol builds up in the
arteries and causes a lot of damages. LDL Cholesterol builds up and block blood
vessels which carry oxygenated blood to the heart and brain which can lead to
stroke. Again, this Cholesterol might speed up the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in
the brain. These plaques are responsible for most of the damages that take
place in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
 |
| photo credit: dietsindetails.com |
To buttress this statement
of fact, a study
published in the annals of neurology showed that saturated fat affects the
memory negatively. The study which was carried out among 6,183 women revealed
that women who had higher saturated fat intake performed worse in thinking and
memory tests than women who consumed these fats in lower quantities.
Another study
published in plos one assessed the effects
of trans fat on the memory. In the study, participants were sequentially
presented a set of 104 cards each bearing a word. 82 of the cards displayed
words shown for the first time in the set, while 22 cards displayed words that
has been presented previously. Participants were told to state whether each
word was new (appeared for the first time) or shown previously. This assessment
revealed that participants (younger adult men) who had higher trans fat intake
were able to recall 65 words correctly in contrast to average participants who
were able to recall 86 words correctly.
Recommendation:
It is best to reduce the intake of foods that contain these bad fats. Saturated
fats are found in foods with animal fat, butter, ice cream while trans fat
(code named “partially hydrogenated fat”) which is a man-made fat can be found
in packaged foods, cookies and cracker. Eat more of foods that contain monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated fats (olive oil, fish, and nuts).
·
Refined sugar:
“By
itself, sugar is not a risky food, the focus should be on a healthy approach”
says Rae-Ellen W. Kavey, MD, MPH, a Pediatrics Professor of the University of
Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. The body cells need energy from
sugar to function well. In fact, the brain cells need two times more energy
than the other cells of the body. Naturally occurring sugars available in
fruits, whole grains and other foods are not enemies to the brain. Instead,
refined sugar in doughnuts, sodas and fast foods is the main culprit. These
refined sugars raise blood sugar levels faster than other sugars. A study revealed that
they reduce the production of a brain chemical called Brain-Derived
Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This brain chemical is very vital in forming
memories and learning process. The study showed that the BDNF output was
reduced when the blood sugar levels of the participants were increased. Studies
have also linked reduced levels of BDNF to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
 |
| photo credit: guoweiyou.com |
Furthermore, sugar
increases the level of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical that
stimulates pleasure (“go for it or go for more feeling”). Drug and nicotine
addicts have increased levels of dopamine. It brings about that craving to eat
more foods with sugar which can lead to obesity. However, dopamine levels in
drug addicts are much more than that of sugar.
Recommendation:
Avoid or limit your intake of
packaged foods that contain refined sugar (added sugar). Some food
manufacturers use sweeteners. But these sweeteners are forms of added (refined)
sugar. Some names for these sugars that you may see on food labels include;
Agave nectar, Molasses, Malt syrup, High-fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener, crystalline
fructose, invert sugar, brown sugar.
References
Annals of Neurology: Dietary fat types and 4-year cognitive change in
community-dwelling older women
You can share with friends and leave
your comment
No comments:
Post a Comment